4.

C l i m a x : the most exciting point,

Freytags Triangle Story Planner

of the story

5. F a l l i n g A c t i o n : because
of the climax, the story heads to a solution

3. R i s i n g A c t i o n : the incident
builds into a problem

6. R e s o l u t i o n
The main problem is solved by someone or thing

. 2. Inciting Incident
Something happens to start a problem

1. Exposition: The start : setting the scene of story .

7. Denouement The end: the details of

the story are c leared up f inally

Story Theory On the front is Freytags Triangle. This is his theory of the basic parts of all stories and the order in which they naturally occur. He originally developed this model for drama but it can loosely be applied to any story and can help when creating a story of your own. According to Freytag, a drama is divided into five, basic parts which some refer to as a dramatic arc: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and dnouement. Narrative There are three key levels in a narrative: 1. The Story 2. The plot 3. The Themes Plot Themes

Story

The story is the essence of a narrative. Story is the main ideas which characterise a plot. The plot is the form of a narrative. The plot is the details or parts of a story set out in order. Theme is the significance of a narrative. A theme is a classic idea which exists outside of the story. A theme is a guiding idea or ideas in the story, although a story can have more than one theme. If the story is the seed, then the plot is the tree into which the story grows and the theme is the weather conditions which cultivate and drives through the whole thing. The King dies and the Queen dies = story The King dies and the Queen dies of grief = plot The King dies and the Queen dies laughing = different plot, same story The Themes in all of the above are: Power, Gender Differences, Love, Death Many different stories have the same guiding theme: for example Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Twilight by Stephenie Meyer are both guided by the theme of Love, Power, Gender Differences and Death but their stories are very different.

A theme can change a good plot into a great story. For example, in Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights, Heathcliffe and Cathy are lovers who never get together and in consequence of this, Heathcliffe makes life hard for all around him. Particularly after Cathy dies and, despite trying to dig her body out of her grave, he can find no happiness till he dies as well. Wuthering Heights, judging by the plot could be a horror story of a tyrant and his abuse over his family. But it is remembered as one of the greatest love stories ever written, and Heathcliffe as one of the great romantic heroes. It is the passion in the story and not the structure of the plot whose influence has been unmistakable in literature ever since. Stories without a plot Some stories rely on the readers experience more than others. Consider these short, short stories, or flash fiction as they are sometimes called: 1. For sale: baby shoes, never worn. - Atrib. Earnest Hemingway 2. The last man on earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door... - Frederick Brown 3. Longed for him. Got him. Shit. - Margaret Atwood Think about the Action, Characters, and Setting for these stories Task: In small groups As we have seen, the relationship between the reader and the writer is a complex one. We are all readers and writers. Now its your turn to write a great story. Below you have the details of a narrative. The narrative building blocks are Action, Characters and Setting. On these foundations, all stories, great or otherwise, are built. 1. Action: = two people have a cup of tea together. 2. Characters: = him and her 3. Setting: = a busy tea shop, the afternoon What you do not have are details of a story, the layout of the plot or the guiding themes. In groups, write a short play. Take the ingredients above and glue them together with a story which you create. You can fill in the details in whichever way you think suitable. Think of a central point to the action and build around this. Use Freytags Triangle to help you guide your story As you create your story and when you have finished it; think about which the themes are. Is it a story about Love, Hate, Friendship or what? You decide.

Teachers Notes This is my version of the story and its themes 1. Plot: = two people have a cup of tea together. 2. characters: = him and her. He is black. She is white. She is pregnant. She is leaving. They are not married. The other people in the tea shop are all white. 3. setting: = a busy tea shop. The afternoon. It is in London. It is 1945. 4. Suggested themes: Love, Racism, Prejudice, War

All groups perform, or read, their play to the other groups. We applaud wildly when they are done.

After each performance, we then understand their story and themes.

Try to put each story into the Freytag Triangle.

Hopefully different groups will have quite different stories and different tones. I imagine there will be a lot of humorous stories based in Eastenders like surroundings.

Finally, tell them the details above and see what they think of that story and its themes.